“This legislation signals a strong commitment to increase transparency and prioritize the improvement of access to information for citizens and journalists alike. Access to information is widely recognized as an essential human right, instrumental for media in its ability to gather reliable information. It is also a key OSCE commitment,” Mijatovic said as quoted by the OSCE statement.
The amendments include a number of steps aimed at improving transparency and access to information including requiring federal agencies to make disclosable records and documents available for public inspection in an electronic format as well as making available for inspection in an electronic format records that have been requested three or more times.
“With this reform, the US has taken an important step in ensuring that the public be given easier and faster access to information, in line with its OSCE commitments,” Mijatovic said.
The OSCE official reminded that transparency and access to information are “an essential component of any democratic, free and open society,” and once again urged OSCE member states “to adopt and fully implement effective freedom of information and access to information laws."
